All the bread and wine (juice) on the Lord's table that remains at the conclusion of the service is to be disposed of how?

-- Anonymous, April 15, 2002

Answers

Unfortunately, in the absence of careful recycling, the only choice appears to me limited to throwing the items away. I would think public health concerns would even limit recycling options. QED

-- Anonymous, April 15, 2002

The Anglicans/Episcopalians do an interesting thing. We all know that they use a common cup. Whatever is left in the cup after the last communicant has been served is consumed by the officiating priest. Whatever has been consecrated and dispensed for the purpose of the Eucharist, but has not been poured into the chalice, is disposed of in a special drain that deposits the wine into the church yard. I'm not sure what is done with the bread. Now, of course, this is significant because they subscribe to the theory of transubstantiation, and the bread and wine have "become" the body and blood of Christ. As such, they think it blasphemous to simply throw away the excess.

I know that does not answer the question, but I thought it an interesting point to share.

Peace and blessings!

-- Anonymous, April 15, 2002

During my earlier years as i was coming through the classes for ordination, i also had the opportunity to serve as a c a s Chapel Activities Specialist in the local National Guard Unit. While assisting the priest, i asked the same question what happens to the access. I was informed that there is usually a counting out of the wafers, and the one cup. If there were any wafers left over it was the duty of the priest to consume the rest for they had been consecrated already and only he was to do that. The uchurist wine which is bottled only for that purpose is also consumed by him. It is really strong too. However i have noticed in churches today, the stewardesses will let the grand kids drink the juice and eat the wafers while they are cleaning up. To God be the Glory!!!

-- Anonymous, April 15, 2002

Although we reject the Doctrine of Transubstantiation, the elements of The Lord's Supper are still holy and they are also consecrated during the Service of Holy Communion. Therefore I was always taught that they were never to be recycled or reused.

At my church the Stewardesses always allowed the children to consume them after church. At other churches I know of, either the Stewardesses or the Pastor consumes them. At still another church I am aware of the bread is fed to the birds and the wine is poured in the earth.

I am not certain if there is any written rule in the A.M.E. Church to which we may refer, but there may be something in print in an early Book of Doctrine and Discipline or in the Books of Polity by Bishop Turner and Bishop Bearden.

-- Anonymous, April 15, 2002

In my ministry I use non-alcoholic Communion Wine, with wafers. The Wafers are easy since we just put back in the original box whatever is left. But I buy only enough to be finished with two services. The leftover wine I give to the Stewardesses.

-- Anonymous, April 16, 2002

I usually use any left over communion wine to take to my sick and shut-in since it is aready consecrated. I use the store brought wafers to take, for out side communion, because it fits better in the container. However, we use freshly made bread every 1st Sunday for the church service. So if any of that is left then it is given to the birds.This same issue came up when I was take the ministerial classes,we were told never to just throw it in the trash. Either give it to the children to finish, or pour the wine on the ground and give the bread to the birds. Hope this was helpful to you

Rev Adna Bean

-- Anonymous, April 16, 2002

Question: All the bread and wine (juice) on the Lord's table that remains at the conclusion of the service is to be disposed of how? There is no instruction in the Scriptures as to how to dispose of blessed bread and wine after the service is over.

As a Pastor I have instructed my deacons and deaconesses to burn the bread in the stove if you have a stove for cooking or heating. If not the bread can be buried in the garden or flower bed where in a few days it will become soil.

The wine is usually poured out into the kitchen or bathroom sink where it becomes a part of nature eventually. Or it can be poured outside in one's garden.

It would have been interesting to see what was done with the uneaten bread and wine at the inauguration of the Lord's supper to replace the Passover meal when Jesus was the Host.

In Africa we could not even get grape juice when I served there as a missionary. We used raisins and soaked them in water and used the water for wine. I think out God is very reasoable in His requirements. The important thing is to dispose of the leftover bread and wine with reverence and carefully.

God bless you as you think upon these things - Phil. 4: 7,8.

-- Anonymous, April 16, 2002

Just to correct one of your answer above. Anglicans do not believe in transubstatiation. Both the surplus bread and wine are consumed in a reverent manner at teh end of teh service ussually by the Presiding clergy person or some of the servers. This is so that the bread and wine cannot be placed in position where it can be worshipped in any way. This is a direct result of teh Catholic view that the bread and wine had become the very body and blood of the Lord Jesus and therefore it was acceptable to give it worship. Thomas Cranmer in teh Book of Common Prayer makes it clear taht this is not the case and therefore instructed that it be consumed so as this worship may not happen. 400 years on we are still doing this. On a slightly different tack, consecrated bread and wine can also be used in Black Magic rites and the consumtion of the surplus prohibits this.

-- Anonymous, November 04, 2002